This page was last edited on January 2, 2026

I don't have any formal training as a network administrator or a network engineer, but in 2026 I want to become competent and well-rounded in both disciplines.

Reading

For a high-level overview of networking I am reading two books. The first of these books is the classic "Network Warrior" by Gary A. Donahue. The copy I have was published on December 17, 2008. It is still useful for foundational networking knowledge, but the practical sections on operating Cisco devices is outdated – and I'm more interested in MikroTik equipment than Cisco – so I'm skipping over those sections.

To supplement Network Warrior with more current resources for the latest practices, I'm reading "Networking For Dummies" by Doug Lowe, that was published on November 15, 2024. The book's main focus is on Windows, but it does cover some Linux fundamentals.

Working on

To help me gain hands-on experience I am building a 16U home network rack – codename: Jiass – that will consist of modems, routers, firewalls, switches, network bridges, patch panels, cable management accessories to keep everything organised, and power. I will be acquiring "MikroTik" networking equipment for modems, routers, and switches, "Protectli" for the hardware firewall, and "Tecmojo" for the rack, shelves, patch panels, and cable management.

For more details, check out my projects page.